INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Afghanistan

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many of the schools in Afghanistan that were re-opened following the deployment of UK armed forces in the country have since been temporarily or permanently closed.

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether he has made an estimate of the number of schools that have closed in Afghanistan due to violence since January.

Hilary Benn: Since UK forces deployed to Afghanistan as part of the NATO led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), school attendance in Afghanistan (including for girls) has risen significantly. According to UNICEF, the number of children in school increased from 1.2 million in March 2002, to 5.1 million in December 2005.
	The recent school closures due to security related incidents are worrying. The latest information we have from the Afghanistan Ministry of Education records:
	between April to July 2006 a total of 208 schools in Zabul, Helmand, Kandahar, Ghazni, Khost and Paktika provinces had to close due to direct threats to the safety of children, teachers and school property, denying access to education for nearly 125,000 children;
	a total of 144 schools have been destroyed in arson attacks between July 2005 and July 2006 disrupting the education of nearly 100,000 children.
	We have had no further data from the Ministry of Education updating these figures.

Afghanistan

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many refugee camps there are in Helmand Province; how many people are in each; and how long each camp has existed.

Hilary Benn: In Helmand there are reported to be two refugee camps near Lashkar Gah. The exact population of these is currently not known, but UN estimates suggest that about 2,800 families in Helmand have been displaced. The Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) community is thought to comprise of: semi nomads (Kuchis); those displaced by drought; and those displaced as a result of violence. A number of the IDPs are not living in camps but with host families; and families from rural areas are moving to the main town of Lashkar Gar to buy supplies and sell crops as they would any year. This confuses the picture.
	UK officials have been monitoring the IDP situation in Helmand. In August the Governor asked the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) to assist in the provision of food and non-food items to 3,000 IDP families. The PRT provided $60,000 to help with this. The assistance was distributed by the Government and we have had no request for further assistance. The UN has reassured us that in Helmand the basic needs of the 2,800 families are being met. Assistance from the World Food Programme, United Nations High Commission of Refugees and the Afghan Red Crescent has been made available to Helmand.
	Mukhtar Camp was established in 1995-06. The second camp, outside Lashkar Gar, was established this year and is hosting newly arrived IDPs.

Afghanistan

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what resources his Department has committed to post-conflict reconstruction in Afghanistan.

Hilary Benn: Over the last five years DFID has spent over £390 million on reconstruction and development in Afghanistan. At the London Conference in January 2006, the UK signed a 10-year development partnership agreement with the Government of Afghanistan. This agreement commits DFID to provide £330 million for reconstruction and development over the subsequent three years. This forms part of the UK's overall pledge at the London Conference of £500 million over three years. DFID's budget for Afghanistan is £102 million in 2006-07. This will rise to £113 million in 2007-08, and £115 million in 2008-09.
	In addition, DFID contributes 18 per cent. of the European Commission's pledge of €1 billion over 2002-07. And over 10 per cent. of the World Bank's spending in Afghanistan of $250-300 million a year. We also contribute financially to UN programmes and to the Asian Development Bank.

Cuba

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of policies to promote sustainable development in Cuba.

Gareth Thomas: DFID does not have a direct development programme in Cuba, so no specific assessment of sustainable development policies there has been made. DFID's Caribbean office focuses on the English-speaking Caribbean, and therefore only maintains a watching brief on developments in Cuba. We are of course generally concerned about the welfare of the Cuban people and about how Cuba affects the wider Caribbean through its relationship with its neighbours.
	DFID does provide support to NGOs working in Cuba through our central funding. Currently, through our Partnership Programme Agreements, DFID provides funding of two NGOs working in Cuba—Save the Children and the Ethical Trading Initiative.
	As part of the European Union, we are committed to the policy of constructive engagement with Cuba. In the period 2000-05, the European Commission's support to Cuba has included humanitarian aid and disaster prevention; food security; NGO co-financing in various sectors—including agriculture, health and education; economic cooperation; financial and technical cooperation; and support to the promotion of democracy and human rights. Since August 2003, the EC's support to Cuba has been constrained by Cuba's refusal to accept EC bilateral aid cooperation. Since then EC support has been provided only through non-governmental entities. For example, in 2005, the EC committed approximately €300,000 to Cuba, all of which was for NGO co-financing.
	We will continue to monitor political and other developments in Cuba and respond as needed in the context of our engagement in EU institutions and our Caribbean regional programme.

People Trafficking

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what projects his Department is funding to combat human trafficking.

Hilary Benn: The aim of all DFID's work is to eliminate the poverty and social injustice that make people vulnerable to trafficking. The main channel for funding projects which specifically combat human trafficking is the International Labour Organisation (ILO). Since 1999, DFID has committed almost £9 million to support their programme in the Greater Mekong Sub-Region. A further £3 million has been allocated to their programme in China. DFID provides core funding to ILO's Special Action Programme to combat forced labour (including trafficking); £1.9 million is allocated for 2006-09.
	DFID also funds the work of non-governmental organisations. Over £1.6 million has been provided to Save the Children's programme in the Greater Mekong Sub-Region.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Bonus Payments

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was paid in bonuses to civil servants in her Department each year since 2001-02; and how many civil servants received bonuses in each year.

Angela Smith: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 6 November 2006,  Official Report, columns 868-69W to the hon. Member for Twickenham (Dr. Cable).

Fire Service College

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people  (a) were made redundant and  (b) retired in each of the last five years at the Fire Service College in Moreton-in-Marsh; and what the cost of redundancy was in each year.

Angela Smith: The information requested on the number of redundancies and retirements is given in the table. It is not our policy to release information of a personal nature that could be used to identify individuals.
	
		
			  Financial year  Retirements  Redundancies (cost) 
			 2005-06 3 — 
			 2004-05 1 — 
			 2003-04 4 — 
			 2002-03 5 — 
			 2001-02 7 1

Fire Service College

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the turnover was of foreign business for the last five years at the Fire Service College in Moreton-in-Marsh; and what the projection is for the 2007-08 financial year.

Angela Smith: The volume of work undertaken by the College for overseas customers for the last five years and forecast for the current year, expressed in terms of income earned is given in the following table. Business planning for the next financial year is currently under way and projections of income from overseas customers have not yet been made.
	
		
			  Financial year  £000 
			  Actual  
			 2001-02 1,115 
			 2002-03 1,188 
			 2003-04 1,593 
			 2004-05 1,637 
			 2005-06 2,209 
			   
			  Forecast  
			 2006-07 2,800

Fire Service College

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many firefighters have been trained at the Fire Service College in Moreton-in-Marsh in each of the last five years, broken down by rank; and what the predicted figures are for the 2007-08 financial year.

Angela Smith: The numbers of firefighters—both UK Fire and Rescue Service and others—trained at the Fire Service College in each of the last five years are in the table. The breakdown by rank is unavailable because records are not kept in that form. Business planning for 2007-08 is currently under way so student numbers cannot yet be forecast.
	
		
			  Financial year  Firefighters trained at the Fire Service College 
			 2006-07 (1)8,627 
			 2005-06 7,844 
			 2004-05 7,394 
			 2003-04 6,542 
			 2002-03 5,342 
			 2001-02 5,882 
			 (1) Projected figure as at November 2006

Fire Service College

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what options have been investigated for use of land at the Fire Service College in Moreton-in-Marsh; and which government organisations and private companies have been consulted.

Angela Smith: Proposals that an area of the Fire Service College (FSC) site be allocated for residential development was included in Cotswold district council's (CDC) First Deposit Local Plan Review 2001-11 but subsequently withdrawn in the Revised Deposit Plan. An appeal was rejected by the Inspector following a public inquiry and no planning allocation for residential development exists. The FSC submitted representations in respect of the Proposed Further Modifications to the Revised Deposit (2001-11) Local Plan in respect of Housing Numbers, but this was rejected by CDC. General consultation on college ideas for development of the site (including options for land disposals) have been held with both CDC Planning Department and the Government office for the south-west (GOSW). No formal planning applications have been submitted.
	Two fire-related organisations, the Fire Protection Association and the Institution of Fire Engineers have moved to the college site in the past two years.

Fire Service College

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the Government's policy is on  (a) regional fire centre training and  (b) central training at the Fire Service College in Moreton-in-Marsh; and what assessment she has made of future trends in this field of training.

Angela Smith: The Government's aim for Fire and Rescue Service training is to ensure that best use is made of resources at the appropriate level. The Fire and Rescue Service National Framework 2006-08 states that regional management boards should draw up a regional HR strategy which encompasses training and development and identifying and implementing the most efficient and effective means for delivering this. The preparation and updating of these regional HR strategies will provide information on current and future training needs.
	That training at national, regional and local level should be complementary is based on the principles set out in the National Fire and Rescue Service Learning and Development Strategy for England (LDS), published in November 2005. There are a number of examples where Fire and Rescue Services work in partnership to provide training and there may be further scope for some facilities to be shared on a regional or sub-regional basis.
	The Fire Service College continues to provide a national and international facility for operational incident management training, centred on its unique facilities and recognises the need for learning and development to be delivered more flexibly to meet the changing needs of the Fire and Rescue Service. It is reviewing its programme of training courses and products to meet the changing needs of the Fire and Rescue Service.

Fire Service College

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps she is taking to ensure that the Fire Service College in Moreton-in-Marsh trades profitably in the 2007-08 financial year.

Angela Smith: As a trading fund the Fire Service College's financial target is to manage its funded operations so that the revenue of the fund consists principally of receipts in respect of goods and services provided in the course of funded operations; is not less than sufficient, taking one year with another, to meet outgoings which are properly chargeable to revenue account; and to achieve a return, averaged over the period 1 April 2004 to 31 March 2009, of a minimum of 4 per cent. as a percentage of average capital employed.
	The college continues to work towards an operational and financial model which will enable it to meet this target on a sustained basis. On-going investment in the marketing and relationship management teams is expected to yield significant growth in the college's trading income for 2007-08. At the same time, the college continues to operate and improve cost controls, with targeted expenditure reductions in terms of both staff and non-staff expenditure through 2006-07 and 2007-08.

Firefighters

Linda Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many reported incidents of attacks on firefighters there were in each year since 1990.

Angela Smith: Records have only been kept since 1 April 2004 for England and Wales only. The total number of reported incidents since then is 2,581:
	In 2004-05, 633 incidents were reported;
	In 2005-06, 1,528 incidents were reported;
	In 2006-07, 420 incidents were reported.

Firefighters

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what reasons underlay her decision not to proceed with the Fire Brigades Union proposals for resilience controls utilising the existing control structure for the Fire and Rescue Service.

Angela Smith: A full analysis of the Fire Brigades Union proposals for resilience controls was undertaken. It concluded that the FBU proposals would not meet the required level of resilience; could potentially add confusion and delay in having more than one control dealing with large incidents; would be at least as expensive to implement as FiReControl; and would increase long term running costs.

Illegal Building (Enforcement)

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the time limit is after which illegal building is out of time for enforcement; and if she will make a statement.

Angela Smith: In relation to contraventions of the building regulations, under the Building Act 1984, local authorities have from the completion of works:
	six months in which to take forward prosecutions under section 35;
	and 12 months in which to issue a section 36 notice requiring the owner to pull down, remove or alter the work.
	The ability of local authorities, the Attorney General or other persons to apply for an injunction under section 36 (6) for the removal or alteration of non compliant work is not subject to a statutory time limit.

TREASURY

Class A Drugs

Robert Key: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment has been made of the relationship between the price of class 'A' drugs across the UK and changes in the border control regime since the implementation of the HM Revenue and Customs Law Enforcement Business Plan in 2003.

Dawn Primarolo: HMRC are an intelligence-led, risk-based organization and deploy their resources accordingly. The price of drugs is factored into the Home Office overarching strategy to which HMRC contributes. Price in itself is one factor in the way we design our border control regime.
	Changes in the price of class 'A' drugs in the UK are due to a number of factors, for example availability, purity, level of use and social trends. To attempt to isolate an individual factor would not produce an accurate reflection of the reasons behind a change in drugs prices.

Credit Unions

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to promote credit unions in the East of England; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Balls: The Government are supporting credit unions and other third sector, not-for-profit, lenders across England, Wales and Scotland through a £36 million Growth Fund. Ipswich and Suffolk credit union, Essex Savers credit union and Liberty credit union in Romford are among around 80 third sector lenders being supported to expand their lending service through this funding. In addition, on the advice of the Financial Inclusion Taskforce, the Government are launching a campaign to promote demand for financial products and services including sources of affordable credit, such as credit union loans. The Department for Work and Pensions is managing the campaign delivery unit, in partnership with secondees from stakeholder organisations. Nine stakeholder managers have so far been appointed, including one for the East of England region.

Healthy Living

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the merits of using fiscal incentives to promote healthy living.

Dawn Primarolo: Successive UK Governments have pursued a policy of establishing and maintaining high levels of tax on cigarettes, which has been proven to reduce smoking prevalence. Smoking is the single largest cause of preventable illness and premature death in the UK. The Government also offer a wide-ranging VAT exemption for the provision of sport and physical education when supplied by non-profit making bodies.

Long-term Public Finance Report

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will publish the next volume of the Long-Term Public Finance Report; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: The next 'Long-term public finance report' will be published alongside the pre-Budget report on 6 December 2006. The report will present an updated assessment of the sustainability of the public finances over the long term.

Mortality Rates

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the mortality rate was of  (a) men and  (b) women in Worsley in each year since 1991.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 21 November 2006:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the mortality rate was of (a) men and (b) women in Worsley in each year since 1991. I am replying in her absence. (101182)
	Mortality rates for parliamentary constituencies which do not share boundaries exactly with a local authority are only available from 2001 onwards. The table below provides the age-standardised mortality rate for (a) men and (b) women in Worsley parliamentary constituency for the years 2001 to 2004 (the latest available).
	The ward population estimates on which these mortality rates are based are experimental statistics - that is, statistics which are in a testing or consultation phase and are not fully developed - and the figures should therefore be treated with caution.
	
		
			  Age-standardised mortality rates( 1) , Worsley parliamentary constituency, 2001-04( 2,3) 
			  Deaths per 100,000 
			  Year  Males  Females 
			 2001 951.8 590.1 
			 2002 857.3 573.3 
			 2003 873.5 620.3 
			 2004 751.8 562.8 
			 (1) Age-standardised mortality rates per 100,000 population, standardised to the European Standard Population. Age-standardised rates are used to allow comparison between populations which may contain different proportions of people of different ages. (2) Using local authority ward boundaries as of 2005 for deaths for all years shown. (3) The ward population estimates used to calculate the ward mortality rates are experimental statistics, and are consistent with the published local authority mid-year estimates for the relevant year.

Schools (VAT)

Mark Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to ensure that value added tax is not recovered from Building Schools for the Future funding where this money is being used to refurbish voluntary aided schools.

Dawn Primarolo: While the construction of certain new charitable buildings is VAT zero rated, VAT is always chargeable on the refurbishment of existing buildings—including schools. Where VAT costs for the refurbishment of voluntary aided schools are not reclaimable by the school under the normal VAT rules, I understand from DfES that they will be funded through the Building Schools for the Future allocations for the refurbishment project.
	EU VAT agreements mean that it is not possible to introduce a new VAT zero rate for the refurbishment of voluntary aided school buildings.

Stamp Duty

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will increase the threshold for stamp duty in English regions which have seen large increases in the price of housing over the last five years.

Edward Balls: Stamp duty rates and thresholds, like all other taxes, are kept under constant review as part of the Budget process.
	No previous administration has ever linked tax thresholds—including stamp duty thresholds—to price movements of any asset, such as housing, and the practice of this Government is no different. Tax rates and thresholds apply equally to the whole of the UK and have never been set on a regional basis.

Tax Credits

Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was spent in Northern Ireland on advertising working tax credits in each of the last five years.

Dawn Primarolo: This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Children's Homes

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether he plans to carry out research into the effects of clustering of independent children's homes.

Beverley Hughes: The Department is not currently planning any research into the effects of the clustering of independent children's homes.
	High quality local authority commissioning is key to the effective management of the children's homes market. It is essential for local authorities to have effective commissioning strategies, which are based on a thorough analysis of the current and future anticipated needs of their local population of children, strong partnerships with providers, and a multi-agency approach to ensure that health and education services are closely linked to placements.
	We want to support local authorities who are experiencing difficulties with commissioning to improve the value for money they secure; to ensure that a choice of suitable placements is offered for each child in care; and to reduce their dependence on out of authority placements.
	"Care Matters", the Green Paper we issued for public consultation on 9 October 2006, proposes the piloting of new regional commissioning units to undertake commissioning functions on behalf of groups of local authorities. These units would bring together procurement expertise and sector knowledge, and be able to work much more effectively with providers in planning local services.

Common Assessment Framework

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what methods will be used to ensure that only those parts of the common assessment framework which the parent or young person in question has consented to being shared will be distributed.

Beverley Hughes: The practitioner undertaking a common assessment will record on the common assessment framework form the details of consent from the parent or young person. This will show what information can be shared with which agencies. The practitioner then has the responsibility to ensure that any information shared is limited to that agreed with the parent or young person. Each local area is required to ensure that there are robust systems and procedures so that information is stored and shared securely, in line with DfES guidance and the Data Protection Act.

Common Assessment Framework

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills where the completed form will be held when a practitioner has carried out a common assessment framework assessment; and whether the form will be available to other practitioners.

Beverley Hughes: A completed common assessment framework form will be held and shared, if appropriate, in line with locally determined procedures and according to whether consent has been given by the parent or young person as part of the assessment. Local areas must have systems for co-ordinating assessments that comply with the Data Protection Act. Many areas are operating manual systems, though some are developing electronic processes. All systems must have appropriate security measures to ensure that only practitioners who have been given consent to access common assessment information will be able to do so. The only exceptions will be circumstances, described in guidance, such as a threat of serious harm to the child.

Inter-country Adoption

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average length of time to complete an inter-country adoption for a child coming to the UK was in  (a) 2005 and  (b) January to June 2006.

Beverley Hughes: There is no centrally held information on the average length of time it takes to complete an inter-country adoption from the initial approach of the prospective adopters to their adoption agency until the legal recognition of the adoption in the UK.

Students (Drop-out Rates)

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what percentage of students dropped out of  (a) apprenticeships,  (b) advanced apprenticeships,  (c) other NVQ learning,  (d) entry to employment,  (e) train-to-gain,  (f) foundation degrees and  (g) workstep programmes in each year since 1997.

Phil Hope: Figures relating to drop-out or retention have only been published with respect to NVQ learning in the further education (FE) sector and are reproduced in the following table:
	
		
			   NVQ aims (starts in 000s)  Retention rate (percentage) 
			   Level 1  Level 2  Level 3  Level 4/5  Level 1  Level 2  Level 3  Level 4/5 
			 1997/98 — — — — — — — — 
			 1998/99 — — — — — — — — 
			 1999/2000 60 187 76 15 63 60 64 66 
			 2000/01 49 179 75 — 62 59 63 — 
			 2001/02 37 153 67 — 67 61 64 — 
			 2002/03 42 158 72 — 71 61 65 — 
			 2003/04 40 149 71 — 74 67 66 — 
			 2004/05 43 155 72 — 76 70 69 — 
			  Note: The number of starts (relating to the cohort of people expected to complete in each year) is shown to give an indication of the relative weightings between cohorts; it does not show the complete number of starts for that year. 
		
	
	Drop-out rates for foundation degree students have not previously been calculated. However, the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) will be publishing a document on foundation degrees later this year which will include drop-out rates as well as other statistics.
	Figures for Train-to-Gain are not yet available given the recent nation roll-out of the programme in August 2006. Figures are not available for the Workstep programme funded by the Department for Work and Pensions through Jobcentre Plus.

Vocational Education

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what mechanisms are in place to prevent conflict of interest between sector skills councils and awarding bodies.

Phil Hope: The Sector Skills Development Agency has set up a task group to provide a forum to address any issues of concern between the Federation of Awarding Bodies and the Sector Skills Councils. The group met on 31 October to discuss productive working relationships and to address issues of concern. The group have committed to identifying good practice models to ensure that skill needs can be met effectively through vocational learning and qualifications.
	In addition, Sector Skills Councils lead the Diploma Development Partnerships which have been established to specify the content of the new Specialised Diplomas. Awarding bodies are working closely with the Partnerships to develop qualifications to meet the Diploma specifications.

Vocational Education

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what discussions he has had with his colleagues in the Department for Trade and Industry on the future of centres for vocational education.

Phil Hope: Officials from the Department for Trade and Industry have been invited to sit on the Steering Group for the development of the New Standard for Employer Responsiveness. I envisage that in future, and over time, all Centres of Vocational Excellence will need to meet this new standard.

Vocational Education

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the expected cost is to his Department of funding centres for vocational education over the next three years.

Phil Hope: This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council as they lead on the delivery of Centres for Vocational Excellence (CoVE). Mark Haysom, chief executive of the Learning and Skills Council, will write directly to the hon. Member with the information on the costs of funding CoVEs over the next three years.

TRANSPORT

Railways

David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the change in the volume of rail freight has been since 1997.

Tom Harris: The amount of freight moved by rail increased from 15.1 to 22.11 billion net tonne kilometres between 1996-97 and 2005-06.

Railways

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effect of the reduction in train services calling at the commuter station of Severn Tunnel Junction; and if he will give guidance to First Great Western on maintaining services to rail users who depend on this station.

Tom Harris: The level of service to operate from December 2006 from Severn Tunnel Junction towards Bristol in the morning was specified to meet actual and forecast demand. I expect First Great Western (FGW) to listen to the views of its passengers and stakeholders and to investigate whether changes can be made to services to meet their needs where this proves to be necessary. In this case I understand that, in response to local opinion, FGW is planning, subject to the rail industry timetabling process, to arrange for additional services to stop at Severn Tunnel Junction in the peak hours with effect from the May 2007 timetable change.

Public Transport

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to improve the quality of bus services.

Gillian Merron: We are committed to improving bus services for passengers across the country.
	We will shortly be setting out detailed proposals on the direction of future bus policy. Legislative measures will be included in the Draft Road Transport Bill.

Public Transport

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to improve the service offered to bus passengers.

Gillian Merron: We are committed to improving bus services for passengers across the country.
	We will shortly be setting out detailed proposals on the direction of future bus policy. Legislative measures will be included in the Draft Road Transport Bill.

Public Transport

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when a national system of free local bus travel for pensioners will be in place.

Gillian Merron: In April this year we introduced free off-peak local bus travel for older and disabled people. And, as announced in the Queen's Speech, we are now introducing a Bill that will extend this free off-peak travel to anywhere in England from April 2008.

Public Transport

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to persuade motorists to use public transport as an alternative to driving.

Stephen Ladyman: The Government are encouraging motorists to use public transport by investing in and supporting better services, providing better information on sustainable travel choices, and thus helping to make public transport a realistic and attractive alternative for many journeys. More passengers are choosing to travel by rail year-on-year, and we will shortly be setting out proposals for further improving bus services.

Seafarers' Employment Rights

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with trade unions on seafarers' employment rights.

Stephen Ladyman: I have regular meetings and correspondence with the maritime trade unions. Such communications frequently involve discussions about seafarers' employment rights.

Severn Bridge

Julie Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had about the proposed increase of the Severn bridge toll in 2007.
	 Question number missing in Hansard, possibly truncated question.

Stephen Ladyman: The Highways Agency initiated discussions with Severn River Crossing plc about increasing the toll levels on 18 October 2006.
	The formula for determining the annual increase is set out in the Severn Bridges Act 1992 and in the concession agreement between the Government and Severn River Crossings plc.
	New toll levels are introduced on 1 January and are confirmed each year by a Statutory Instrument made in December which authorises Severn River Crossing plc to adjust tolls to the revised levels.

Illegal Driving

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the number of drivers driving without  (a) tax,  (b) insurance and  (c) a driving licence.

Stephen Ladyman: The information requested is as follows:
	 (a) The estimate for Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) evasion derives from the results of the Department's national roadside survey in 2005, which implies a 4.7 per cent. VED evasion rate in stock. This, in turn, would equate to a national figure of 1.5 million vehicles.
	 (b) Our latest estimate (2005) for uninsured driving is based on a comparison of the vehicle register, maintained by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) and the Motor Insurance Database. It is that there are about 2.1 million vehicles (about 6.5 per cent. of the UK vehicle fleet) being driven by uninsured drivers.
	 (c) In March of this year the police conducted a national check on compliance with driver and vehicle requirements. This involved the random stopping of nearly 6,000 vehicles (cars, light goods vehicles and motorcycles). The figure for non-compliance with driver licensing requirements was 1.6 per cent. At a national level this could equate to something in the region of one million people driving without a valid licence.

Car Ownership

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the level of car ownership was per household in  (a) Hartlepool constituency and  (b) England in the last year for which figures are available.

Stephen Ladyman: According to data from the National Travel Survey, in 2005 25 per cent. of households in England did not have regular use of a car, 43 per cent. had access to one car and 33 per cent. had access to two or more cars.
	Figures for Hartlepool are not available from the National Travel Survey. According to the 2001 Census, 39 per cent. of households in Hartlepool did not have regular use of a car, 42 per cent. had access to one car and 18 per cent. had access to two or more cars.

Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Richard Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to monitor carbon dioxide emissions from vessels flying the British flag.

Stephen Ladyman: This Department, through its Maritime and Coastguard Agency, is taking an active part in the development of a means of monitoring carbon dioxide emissions from ships. This includes contributing to discussions at the International Maritime Organization (IMO), who have been tasked with developing a greenhouse gas emission limitation or reduction strategy.

Dartford Crossing

John Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the possible impact of increased tolls on the Dartford Crossing on  (a) the proposed toll regime for the Thames Gateway Bridge and (b) traffic projections and forecasts for the bridge.

Stephen Ladyman: The existing Dartford Crossing and the proposed Thames Gateway Bridge serve significantly different purposes. The Dartford Crossing mainly serves long-distance strategic traffic, whereas the Thames Gateway Bridge is intended mainly for journeys of a local nature. Modelling and analysis suggests that there would be very little interaction between the two.

Dartford Crossing

John Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether  (a) the Mayor of London and  (b) Transport for London was consulted prior to his recent announcement regarding a proposed increase in the Dartford Tunnel tolls.

Stephen Ladyman: The Government announced on 19 November 2006 that they would be consulting on proposed changes to the charging regime at the Dartford-Thurrock river crossings. The announcement stated that the consultation would be launched in December. It will be through this process that we take the views of the Mayor of London and Transport for London.

Dartford Crossing

John Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will re-open the public inquiry on the Thames Gateway Bridge following his announcement of possible changes to the tolling regime for the Dartford Crossing.

Stephen Ladyman: The Secretary of State would only consider re-opening a public inquiry where significant new evidence has come to light. In this case, modelling and analysis has suggested that there would be little interaction between the usage of the existing Dartford crossing and the Thames Gateway bridge.

Drink-Driving

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will launch a campaign over Christmas and the New Year period to discourage people from drinking and driving; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: Communications warning of the dangers of drink-driving form part of the Department's THINK! road safety campaign, which is investing some £3 million in anti drink-drive messages this financial year.
	Our Christmas campaign launches in December. It has been carefully planned to ensure the advertising is placed on media channels throughout December that are popular with the prime target audience (young men aged 17-29) and which also target all adults. We shall use a range of communication activities, including:
	TV and cinema advertising;
	cinema ambient advertising;
	radio advertising;
	in-pub ambient advertising (washroom advertising and Pub TV advertising with interactive Bluetooth messages);
	PR/press sponsorship;
	online advertising.
	A range of organisations associated with the drinking environment are also supporting the campaign by providing sponsorship.
	The Association of Chief Police Officers has also agreed to support the campaign with an extended Christmas drink and drug driving enforcement campaign throughout December.

Driving Instructors

Brian Binley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many approved driving instructors  (a) have passed and  (b) are yet to pass the hazard perception test.

Stephen Ladyman: As of 31 October 2006, 35,409 approved driving instructors (ADIs) on the register have passed the hazard perception test. This equates to 87 per cent. of ADIs on the register. 5,419 (13 per cent.) are yet to pass.

Driving Instructors

Brian Binley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the number of approved driving instructors who will not have passed the hazard perception test by 31 December 2006.

Stephen Ladyman: As of 31 October, 5,419 approved driving instructors (ADIs) have not passed the hazard perception test. The current rate is for 2,000 to pass each month, on average.
	This would leave 1,419, or 3 per cent., who would not have passed by the end of December. There may be a 'last minute' rush from ADIs to complete the test. Some ADIs may take this opportunity to cease instruction voluntarily.

Driving Instructors

Brian Binley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans the Government has to take action in respect of approved driving instructors who have failed to pass the hazard perception test by 31st December but who continue to teach.

Stephen Ladyman: Instructors who have not passed the test will be notified that they have 28 days to make representations to the registrar.
	Should the registrar decide they should be removed from the register, they will have 28 days to appeal to the Transport Tribunal.
	Instructors can continue to instruct up to the date of the publication of the tribunal decision. However, should any instructors whose appeal is rejected by the tribunal continue to instruct, the Driving Standards Agency will make investigations with a view to prosecution for illegal instruction.

Driving Instructors

Brian Binley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration his Department has given to extending the 31st December deadline for approved driving instructors to pass the hazard perception test.

Stephen Ladyman: After consultation from the driver training industry, the Government extended from one year to two the period for an Approved Driving Instructor to pass the hazard perception test.
	The Driving Standards Agency has no plan to extend the deadline further.

Driving Instructors

Brian Binley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration was given to allowing existing approved driving instructors  (a) exemption and  (b) extension in relation to the hazard perception test.

Stephen Ladyman: When the hazard perception test (HPT) was introduced as a requirement for new Approved Driving Instructors (ADIs) in November 2002, existing ADIs were not required to pass the assessment.
	The Driving Standards Agency consulted in April 2003 on extending this requirement to existing instructors.
	Consultees, including representatives from the ADI industry, were broadly in favour of the proposal. The HPT was introduced as a requirement for existing ADIs as a result in 2005.

Freight Transport

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the potential for retailers and other companies to make greater use of inland waterway and coastal freight transport in their supply chain.

Stephen Ladyman: In addition to the work done by the Freight Study Group on inland waterways in England and Wales in 2002; the Department has recently funded a research project, to be undertaken by Sea and Water, to review the existing research on the potential for water freight movements in the UK and assess the need for further research. We anticipate the results in the near future.

Future of Air Transport White Paper

Julian Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received from  (a) hon. Members and  (b) non-departmental public bodies on the scope and content of the progress report on the Future of Air Transport White Paper.

Gillian Merron: Hon. Members have continued to represent their constituents' views in relation to the Future of Air Transport White Paper. In addition, the Government continue to engage with a range of key stakeholders including non-departmental bodies on the implementation of the White Paper.
	The Department for Transport expects to publish a progress report on the Air Transport White Paper by the end of 2006.

Future of Air Transport White Paper

Julian Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the progress report on the Future of Air Transport will be published.

Gillian Merron: The Department for Transport expects to publish a Progress Report on the policies and proposals set out in the Air Transport White Paper by the end of 2006.

Medical Licensing Scheme

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to publish the results of the review of the medical licensing scheme commissioned by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority in late 2004.

Stephen Ladyman: The results of the independent review commissioned in 2005 were announced in February 2006. The Department will undertake a full public consultation on the health and driver licensing system in Great Britain early in 2007. The full report from the independent review will be published at that time.

Railway Services

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with First Great Western on the time tabling of services on the Cheltenham-Swindon-Paddington line.

Tom Harris: I have had no discussions with First Great Western on the timetabling of services on the Cheltenham-Swindon-Paddington line. Detailed timetabling of services is a matter is for the First Great Western.

Railway Services

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to discuss the re-doubling of the line between Kemble and Swindon with  (a) Network Rail,  (b) First Great Western and  (c) Gloucestershire county council.

Tom Harris: I have no immediate plans to meet Network Rail, or other stakeholders, over plans to re-double the railway line between Swindon and Kemble. This is a matter for Network Rail to pursue. The company has recently confirmed a proposal to improve this line and is currently consulting with the railway industry on the matter.

Road Safety Campaigns

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the website Arrive Alive.

Stephen Ladyman: The primary function of the Arrive Alive website www.arrivealive.info is to provide information and to promote the Arrive Alive presentations. Since the focus is on the presentations, we have not yet carried out a full evaluation of the website's effectiveness.

Road Safety Campaigns

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the impact on teenagers of website, www.thinkroadsafety.gov.uk.

Stephen Ladyman: The THINK! website is primarily a tool for THINK! stakeholders, for example, Road Safety Officers, the police, teachers and health authorities. Its main purpose is to inform stakeholders about national marketing activities and provide them with information and materials, enabling them to market THINK! regionally.
	The site is not designed for teenagers. We target them through advertising and PR. Our latest teen pedestrian campaign launched in August last year featured a commercial called "Cameraphone," the first to be shot through a mobile phone camera. The commercial was placed on teen websites and then aired on television and later in cinema. It was supported by 6-sheet posters in the vicinity of secondary schools.
	Teens found the commercial engaging. 97 per cent. said it was easy to understand; 95 per cent. said it made them think again about being careful on the roads and 91 per cent. thought it relevant as a similar accident could happen to them. The number of teenagers killed or seriously injured on our roads continues to fall.
	The THINK! campaign's communication work with teenagers has just won a National Business award in recognition of our use of insight, innovation and effectiveness.

Road Safety Campaigns

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with  (a) motoring organisations and  (b) the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents on ways to increase the road safety awareness of newly qualified drivers below the age of 21 years.

Stephen Ladyman: Department for Transport officials have had bi-lateral and multi-lateral meetings with motoring organisations and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents as part of the second three year review of the Road Safety Strategy. The review will identify those aspects of road safety which represent the greatest challenges and opportunities for reducing casualties over the next few years. Young drivers are a key consideration of the review. These organisations are also members of the Road Safety Advisory Panel which meets in December. The review will be on the agenda and I plan to chair the meeting.

Road Safety Campaigns

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many hits his Department's website www.hedgehogs.gov.uk has received in each month since it was launched; and what assessment he has made of the impact of the website on improving road safety for children.

Stephen Ladyman: Hits to www.hedgehogs.gov.uk are set out in the following table. The hedgehogs website is designed to engage children and promote wider awareness of road safety. It is however but one channel within our wider suite of communication activities taken forward as part of the THINK! child road safety campaign. We use a broad mix of TV, cinema and online advertising, PR, partnership marketing and education materials to communicate child road safety messages.
	We measure our activity through research tracking and ultimately through the number of children who are killed or seriously injured on our roads. Our recent child tracking research showed high awareness of the campaign with eight out of 10 children being aware of our advertising. Children were also very positive about the campaign and there is a clear correlation between traffic to the website and online marketing activity.
	The increase in hits and visits to the website in March 2006 is a reflection of increased online advertising activity that month.
	The Government have set a demanding target to reduce the number of children aged under 16 killed or seriously injured on Britain's roads by 50 per cent. by 2010, using the average for 1994-98 as the baseline. We are on course to exceed this target. The THINK! road safety campaign is an important component of our strategy to reduce deaths and injuries.
	
		
			   Hits (total number of successful requests for pages)  Visitors (number of distinct hosts served) 
			  2005   
			 September 149,163 22,131 
			 October 160,983 24,363 
			 November 167,639 22,654 
			 December 144,801 24,437 
			
			  2006   
			 January 137,650 19,815 
			 February 174,495 33,219 
			 March 394,782 133,604 
			 April 176,449 36,214 
			 May 203,363 38,906 
			 June 142,401 22,373 
			 July 107,819 23,094 
			 August 179,463 64,980 
			 September 105,491 24,271 
			 October 161,804 38,230

Speed Limits

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department is taking to reduce speed limits on rural roads in villages.

Stephen Ladyman: The Department for Transport published new guidance on setting local speed limits on 8 August 2006. This asks local traffic authorities to review speed limits on their A and B roads, and implement any necessary changes by 2011.
	The guidance encourages lower speed limits where the evidence or characteristics of the road warrant this. Equally local traffic authorities should consider increasing limits if it is warranted and can be done safely.
	The Department acknowledges that rural settlements deserve the same protection from vehicle speeds in urban areas. It is therefore Government policy that, where appropriate, villages should be subject to 30 mph speed limits, and this was further emphasised in the Department's new guidance on setting local speed limits.
	Local traffic authorities remain best placed to decide whether 30 mph is an appropriate speed limit based upon local needs and requirements.

Travel Information

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to make real time travel information available to road users.

Stephen Ladyman: The Highways Agency already offers real time traffic information through message signs, telephone and the web. It is improving these services and developing new services such as dedicated traffic and travel radio. These services and future plans are provided in its publication "Changing the customer experience through information", which is on the agency's website. Copies will also be placed in the Libraries of the House.
	A wide range of real time travel information, including information relevant to drivers in Wales, Scotland and London, is available from the Transport Direct website at. www.transportdirect.info.

VED Renewal Notices

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he has taken  (a) to ensure that vehicle excise duty renewal (VED) notices (V11s) are sent out correctly to the registered keeper of the vehicle and to no one else and  (b) to follow up the VED renewal notices that do not elicit a response.

Stephen Ladyman: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) undertakes a monthly scan of the vehicle register to identify vehicles that are due to be licensed. Renewal notices are despatched to the registered keeper of the vehicle. As the form is printed six to eight weeks in advance, a renewal may be sent to a customer who has recently notified disposal of a vehicle. Following the initial print run, DVLA makes further checks of the vehicle register to identify records that may have changed in the interim period and issues renewal notices if required.
	The onus is on the customer to ensure that their vehicle is correctly licensed at all times. If customers fail to re-license or declare a statutory off road notice, enforcement action may be taken.

VED Renewal Notices

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many prosecutions have been taken out against individuals for non-renewal of a vehicle excise duty off-road notice when the defence has been non-receipt of the renewal notice; and how many of these prosecutions have been successful.

Stephen Ladyman: Since the introduction of continuous registration in 2004, 3.5 million late licence penalty letters have been issued. Over 10,000 letters have been issued to those who claim not to have received a reminder notice and each of these letters state that payment is still due. This equates to 0.3 per cent. of all cases.
	Once a letter such as this has been sent the case will be selected for prosecution in the same way as any other.
	I am not aware of any cases where this defence has resulted in a case being found against the agency.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Wildlife Crime

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what training has been provided to magistrates dealing with cases of wildlife crime.

Bridget Prentice: The training of magistrates is organised and delivered locally. Information on the provision of wildlife crime training to magistrates is not currently held centrally. Legal advisers provide magistrates with advice on any relevant case law in relation to wildlife crime and appropriate sentencing.

Carter Review

Angela Watkinson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what representations she has received from family lawyers concerning the Carter review.

Vera Baird: We have received 1,045 responses to the proposals regarding family work in the consultation paper "Legal Aid: a sustainable future". I have attended some 25 public meetings on the proposals throughout the country to hear practitioners' views. The Government's response should be published within the next couple of weeks.

Carter Review

Tony Baldry: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what representations she has received from family lawyers on the Carter review.

Vera Baird: We have received 1,045 responses to the proposals regarding family work in the consultation paper "Legal Aid: a sustainable future." I have attended some 25 public meetings on the proposals throughout the country to hear practitioners' views. The Government's response should be published within the next couple of weeks.

Mesothelioma

Mary Creagh: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what steps she has taken to ensure that people with mesothelioma are able to claim compensation through the courts.

Bridget Prentice: The Government have legislated in the Compensation Act 2006 to help claimants suffering from mesothelioma to obtain the compensation to which they are entitled as quickly as possible. A person who has been negligently exposed to asbestos and has contracted mesothelioma, can now recover full compensation from any responsible person. In addition, a fast track process exists for mesothelioma claims in certain courts.

Electoral Administration

Clive Betts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what performance standards have been set by the Electoral Commission for electoral administration under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000.

Bridget Prentice: The Act empowers the Electoral Commission to determine and publish performance standards. When it does so, it is required to send the Secretary of State a copy of the published standards. No such published standards have been received to date but we are aware that the Electoral Commission is working on this issue.

Electoral Administration

Diana Johnson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many eligible voters are estimated to be missing from the electoral register in Kingston upon Hull.

Bridget Prentice: A comparison between the electoral register in Kingston upon Hull and the local authority's mid-year population estimate for 2005 indicates approximately 10,400 adults who are resident but not on the electoral roll. However, not all these residents will necessarily be eligible to vote as they may not meet the eligibility criteria. For instance, they may not hold a qualifying nationality.

Magistrates

Adrian Bailey: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what progress she has made in increasing diversity among magistrates.

Harriet Harman: The proportion of minority ethnic magistrates stood at just over 7 per cent. at the start of 2006. Magistrates under 40 stood at just over 4 per cent. in 2006. There remains a roughly even split on gender. We will continue our efforts to ensure magistrates reflect the diverse communities they serve.

Magistrates

Ben Chapman: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will make an assessment of the merits of raising the retirement age for magistrates.

Harriet Harman: The magistrates retirement age is set at 70 under the Courts Act 2003. It is our policy to increase judicial diversity and it is particularly important that magistrates, whose great strength is that they are local people delivering local justice, reflect the diverse communities they serve. Nationally, 80 per cent. of magistrates are over 50. We need to recruit substantially more magistrates under the age of 50, and allowing magistrates to sit beyond 70 would work against this important objective.

Office for Legal Complaints

David Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what progress has been made with the establishment of the Office for Legal Complaints; and if she will make a statement.

Bridget Prentice: The Government are looking to introduce the Legal Services Bill in this parliamentary session. Following its successful passage through Parliament, we expect it to take between two and three years to establish both the Legal Services Board and an Office for Legal Complaints.

Coroner Reform Bill

Brian Iddon: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what steps she has taken to consult relatives on the draft Coroner Reform Bill.

Harriet Harman: As part of our public consultation on the draft Coroners' Bill, on 9 November I met in Parliament with a group of lay people with recent experience of the coroners' system. In considering specific aspects of the draft legislation, they were able to offer moving and valuable insights, which will improve the draft Bill, and which will ensure that the reform programme focuses even more acutely on the needs of the bereaved. I will publish a report of the event, which Members received an invitation to observe, shortly.

Supreme Court

Andrew MacKay: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what progress has been made with the preparation and construction of the proposed courthouse for the Supreme Court.

Harriet Harman: As announced in the written ministerial statement of 17 October 2006,  Official Report, columns 45-46WS, by my hon. Friend the Member for Lewisham, East (Bridget Prentice), the Supreme Court Implementation Programme is on target to deliver the Supreme Court at Middlesex Guildhall in time for the start of the legal year in October 2009.
	On 7 September 2006 Westminster City Council (WCC) resolved to grant planning and listed building consent. We are currently working with English Heritage and WCC on final legal agreements. We have appointed Kier Group plc as our preferred bidder and we are in commercial discussions with it prior to agreeing the final contract. We expect to reach financial close with Kier Group early next year at which time I shall give another update to the House.

Legal Aid

Vincent Cable: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what account she has taken of the needs of  (a) those whose first language is not English and  (b) those with mental or physical disabilities when implementing a system of fixed solicitors' fees as proposed in Lord Carter's report, "Legal Aid—A market-based approach to reform".

Vera Baird: At the time of publication of Lord Carter's report, the DCA and the Legal Services Commission simultaneously launched a full consultation on his proposals, which concluded on 12 October. This included the publication of a draft regulatory impact assessment, including a racial impact assessment, which can be found on the DCA website. An updated version of this document will shortly be published alongside the Government's response to the consultation on Lord Carter's proposals.
	The Government are committed to ensuring access to justice irrespective of a client's race or any disability. Lord Carter's proposals place quality at the heart of reform and we believe that this is the right course. We will work to ensure that any reforms implemented will not affect the quality of service to clients, including those who do not use English as a first language and those with physical or mental disabilities.
	We believe that modernisation of the Legal Aid System is essential and that Lord Carter has provided a blueprint for how this could be effectively conducted. However, the Government are now considering the views expressed throughout the consultation period and we are looking at all the options available before publishing our response. An announcement on the way forward will be made shortly.

Legal Aid

Vincent Cable: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what representations she has received regarding the system of fixed solicitors' fees proposed in Lord Carter's report, "Legal Aid—A market-based approach to reform"; and if she will make a statement.

Vera Baird: At the time of publication of Lord Carter's report, the DCA and the LSC simultaneously launched a full consultation on his proposals, which concluded on 12 October. As well as this, I attended a number of meetings with practitioners and stakeholders over the summer recess to listen personally to the views of those directly affected by the proposed reforms. The LSC also conducted a number of roadshows throughout the consultation period to gather further views. This dialogue has included a number of representations regarding the introduction of fixed fees for solicitors as proposed by Lord Carter in his final report.
	We believe that modernisation of the Legal Aid System is essential and that Lord Carter has provided a blueprint for how this could be effectively conducted. When conducting his review he examined the options that were available for reform and his final proposals reflect what he believed to be the best solution. The Government are now considering the views expressed throughout the consultation period and we are looking at all the options available before making our final policy decision. An announcement on the way forward will be made shortly.

Legal Aid

Vincent Cable: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment she has made of alternative proposals for solicitors' fees following the proposal of a fixed solicitor's fee in Lord Carter's report, "Legal Aid—A market-based approach to reform"; and if she will make a statement.

Vera Baird: At the time of publication of Lord Carter's report, the DCA and the LSC simultaneously launched a full consultation on his proposals, which concluded on 12 October. In addition, I attended a number of meetings with practitioners and stakeholders over the summer recess to listen personally to the views of those directly affected by the proposed reforms. The LSC also conducted a number of roadshows throughout the consultation period to gather further views to those received in written consultation responses.
	We believe that modernisation of the Legal Aid System is essential and that Lord Carter has provided a blueprint for how this could be effectively conducted. However, the Government are now considering the views expressed throughout the consultation period and we are looking at all the options available before making our final policy decision. An announcement on the way forward will be made shortly.

Legal Aid

David Burrowes: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will break down by main budget heading the estimated annual savings of £35 million following the introduction of the means test in criminal legal aid magistrates' court work; and whether the new system is on target to meet the estimated level of savings.

Vera Baird: The new means test is projected to deliver £55 million gross savings based on the estimated reduction in applicants who qualify for criminal legal aid representation. The net savings of £35 million reflect the impact of the Early Cover Scheme, additional claims from Central Funds and administration costs. While it is too early to draw firm conclusions, the Government's initial assessment is that the system is on course to deliver the projected savings.

Legal Aid

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what changes are planned to family legal aid following the Carter review; and if she will make a statement.

Vera Baird: The DCA/Legal Services Commission consultation paper, "Legal Aid: a sustainable future", set out our proposals for the introduction of graduated fee schemes for solicitors undertaking family legal aid. Consultation closed on 12 October. The Government's response should be published within the next couple of weeks.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Farepak

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the Companies Investigation Branch has been able to establish the number of affected customers of Farepak in  (a) the Wirral,  (b) Merseyside and  (c) the North West.

Ian McCartney: The investigation power under which the investigation is being conducted, section 447 of the Companies Act 1985, does not permit the disclosure of information obtained except as provided in the Companies Act (mainly to prosecuting bodies and regulators). The information obtained can also be used to bring proceedings under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986.
	The administrators may have information about the number of affected customers in the regions referred to.

Farepak

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the Companies Investigation Branch will complete its investigation into Farepak.

Ian McCartney: The investigation will be completed as soon as possible consistent with the need to make thorough inquiries into the matters being looked at.

Farepak

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what powers the Companies Investigation Branch has to recover moneys paid to Farepak by savers.

Ian McCartney: The Companies Investigation Branch has no such powers.
	Directors do not enjoy complete immunity from personal liability. Where a company goes into liquidation, rather than administration, and there is evidence of wrongful or fraudulent trading, the liquidator can ask the court to declare that those responsible should make a personal contribution towards the assets of the company.

Farepak

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what investigations he has made into the failure of Farepak and the operation of the parent company.

Ian McCartney: As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, has announced, the Companies Investigation Branch is conducting an investigation into Farepak under section 447 of the Companies Act 1985. The investigation is still in progress.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Decibel Penguin Prize

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what funding she plans to allocate to the decibel Penguin prize in each of the next five years.

David Lammy: For 2006-07 the decibel Penguin prize and anthology has been allocated £8,000 in support from Arts Council England. The Arts Council has committed to working with Penguin on two further volumes but funding allocations for future years have not yet been made.

Gambling

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the Government's recent International Summit to discuss decent universal standards for the regulation of online gambling.

Richard Caborn: Significant progress was made towards putting in place a road map that will lead to better regulated remote gambling across the world. More than 30 jurisdictions attended and there was wide-spread agreement to co-operate further in a number of key areas to ensure that gambling remains fair, crime free and vulnerable people are protected.
	We plan to issue a communiqué, in due course, and follow this up with further international action.

Gambling

Julie Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which individuals have been seconded to the Gambling Commission to assist in preparing the new fee structure for the betting shop operations licence; and from which organisations those individuals came.

Richard Caborn: No individual has been seconded to the Gambling Commission to assist in preparing its new licence fee structure for the betting shop operations.

Gender Equality

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she expects to publish her Department's gender equality scheme.

David Lammy: My Department will publish its equality scheme, incorporating its gender equality scheme, on 4 December 2006.

Gender Equality

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she is taking to ensure that private organisations contracted to work  (a) in her Department and  (b) for non-departmental public bodies and Executive agencies for which her Department is responsible are aware of their duties under gender equality legislation when exercising public functions on behalf of public bodies.

David Lammy: To assist us in meeting our general gender equality duty obligations where contractors provide goods, works or services on our behalf, we will refer to the Equal Opportunities Commission's (EOC) Code of Practice of the Gender Equality Duty and any further EOC guidance when available.

Gender Equality

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to carry out gender impact assessments of her Department's major policy developments and new legislation.

David Lammy: From April 2007, my Department will carry out gender impact assessments of major policy developments and new legislation in line with the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 (Public Authorities) (Statutory Duties) Order 2006 (No. 2930). We shall refer to the Equal Opportunities Commission's (EOC) Code of Practice on the Gender Equality Duty and its specific guidance when available.

Gender Equality

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she is taking to ensure that  (a) her Department and  (b) the non-departmental public bodies and Executive agencies for which she is responsible are taking steps to meet the requirements of the forthcoming duty on public bodies (i) to end unlawful discrimination and harassment and (ii) to promote equality between women and men.

David Lammy: In order to meet the general gender equality duty which will require public authorities to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination and harassment and promote equality of opportunity between women and men, my Department will be taking the steps outlined in the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 (Public Authorities)(Statutory Duties) Order 2006 (No. 2930) which should come into force on 6 April 2007.

Library Services (Visually Impaired People)

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with local authority library services on the migration of provision for the blind and partially sighted from a tape-based system to cd-rom or a use of computers for the delivery of talking book services.

David Lammy: Responsibility for service provision policy for public libraries rests at a local level, where local management are in the best position to judge the particular needs of the communities they serve.
	This includes decisions on provision for visually impaired library users. Each local authority works to reflect the needs of its community based on an informed understanding of local requirements. This often means providing content in a variety of media to reflect the differing needs of visually impaired people in the area.

Olympic Stadium

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whom the Minister of Sport met on legacy use of the Olympic Stadium; when each meeting took place; if the potential value of the stadium was discussed; if  (a) the Olympic Board,  (b) the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games and  (c) the Olympic Delivery Authority were informed of these discussions by her Department before they took place; if the results were reported to these bodies; and what account was taken in discussions of the commitment to convert the stadium into an athletics facility.

Tessa Jowell: My right hon. Friend the Minister for Sport discussed the legacy use of the Olympic stadium with representatives from West Ham United on 8 March 2006 and 3 July 2006, with representatives from Tottenham Hotspur on 7 March 2006 and 5 June 2006 and with representatives from Charlton Athletic on 23 March 2006. These discussions covered the Olympic stakeholders' commitment to the International Olympic Committee of a legacy with athletics at its core, as well as the potential value of the stadium.
	Throughout this period, the Minister held a number of meetings with officials from the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games, the Olympic Delivery Authority and the Greater London Authority, at which the Olympic stadium was discussed, including the discussions with football clubs. The Minister was also present at the Olympic Board meeting on 25 July 2006 when the legacy use of the Olympic stadium was considered.

Parliamentary Questions

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether her Department uses an internal traffic light or colour coded system for parliamentary questions for written answer.

David Lammy: No.

Shrewsbury

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many staff in her Department are employed in Shrewsbury.

David Lammy: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has no staff employed in Shrewsbury.

Swimming Teachers Association

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she is taking to secure a resolution of the dispute involving the Swimming Teachers Association; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Caborn: The Swimming Teachers' Association (STA) has written to me about its dispute with the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA). I replied on 9 August and 20 September, clarifying the position on the UK Coaching Certificate and encouraging the STA to meet the ASA to discuss its concerns about the ASA's licensing scheme.

Tennis

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with the Lawn Tennis Association on the potential impact of the proposed sale of Queen's Club on the development of British tennis talent over the next 10 years.

Richard Caborn: Neither my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State nor I have had any recent discussions with the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) on the potential impact of the proposed sale of Queen's Club on the development of British tennis talent over the next 10 years.
	However, I understand the entire proceeds from the sale, around £45 million, will be reinvested in the sport with the vast majority going to community tennis as set out in the LTA's Whole Sport Plan. This includes the new National Tennis Centre in Roehampton which will aim to develop the sport throughout the country at all levels; from the grass roots of the game to success on the international stage.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Anti-terrorism Legislation

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of those released after being detained without charges under the most recent anti-terrorist legislation were later charged with terrorist offences.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 20 November 2006
	The police do not routinely collate this information and to answer the question could be done only at disproportionate cost.

Asylum Seekers

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people from Pakistan sought asylum in the UK on the grounds that they were persecuted because of their Christianity in each year since 2000; and how many were successful.

Liam Byrne: The requested information is unavailable and could be obtained only by examination of individual case records and therefore at disproportionate cost.

Correspondence

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter of 6 October from the hon. Member for the Forest of Dean regarding Ms Tina Marfell.

Liam Byrne: I wrote to the hon. Member on 7 November 2006.

Free Passports

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many pensioners have taken up their entitlement to free passports, broken down by  (a) county and  (b) constituency, grouped according to region.

Joan Ryan: The Identity and Passport Service does not ask passport holders to keep their address up to date on our database. Therefore, the Identity and Passport Service cannot identify the number of current residents by geographical area who have taken advantage of the scheme to issue free passports to applicants born on or before 2 September 1929.
	However for residents of the United Kingdom, 376,668 people born on or before 2 September 1929 have had their entitlement to free passports fulfilled by the Identity and Passports Service up until 30 September 2006.

Immigration and Nationality Directorate

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Immigration and Nationality Directorate will respond to the letter of 15 August from the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green regarding Mr Rachid Sahraoui (Home Office reference LR1420012703/1).

Liam Byrne: holding answer 20 November 2006
	The Director General of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate replied to the hon. Member's letter on 16 November 2006.

Reciprocal Extradition Arrangements

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on the US administration's approach to reciprocal extradition arrangements.

Joan Ryan: There have been no recent discussions with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on this issue. However, in March 2006 the previous Home Secretary, my right hon. Friend the Member for Norwich, South (Mr. Clarke), briefed the Northern Ireland Secretary on this issue prior to his visit to the United States.

DEFENCE

Bevin Boys

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he will implement the recognition scheme for the Bevin Boys.

Derek Twigg: I have been giving detailed consideration to the case for some further measure to recognise the contribution of conscripted Bevin Boys in World War II. I hope to reach a decision on this in due course.

Check-in Times

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average check-in times were for  (a) UK forces returning to the UK from deployments abroad and  (b) UK forces deployed from the UK in each of the last 12 months.

Adam Ingram: Statistics for average check-in times are not held. There are set check-in times for UK forces deploying overseas and returning to the UK and these vary according to the operational theatre and location.

China-made Uniforms

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of uniforms issued to service personnel in the  (a) Army,  (b) Royal Navy and  (c) Royal Air Force were made in China.

Derek Twigg: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Combat Limb Losses

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many military personnel have lost limbs in  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan in each of the last three years.

Derek Twigg: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 7 November 2006,  Official Report, column 1445W, to the hon. Member for North Wiltshire (Mr. Gray).

Mental Health

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether cognitive behavioural therapy is provided in his Department's departments of community mental health.

Derek Twigg: Yes.

Nuclear Deterrent

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what preliminary estimates his Department has made of the cost of a new generation of nuclear deterrent based on the Trident system.

Des Browne: We have indicated that a White Paper will be published once decisions have been taken later this year on the future of the nuclear deterrent. This White Paper will set out the results of the preparatory work which has been under way on risks, threats, options and costs.

Sierra Leone

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British troops are stationed in Sierra Leone.

Adam Ingram: The numbers of personnel posted to each location abroad are shown in Tri-Service Publication 6, Global Location of UK Regular Forces (TSP 6). Copies of TSP 6 are available in the Library of the House of Commons and are also at www.dasa.mod.uk

Troop Transportation

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with the Chief of the Air Staff about the performance of the Movements organisation in each of the last five years.

Adam Ingram: The Secretary of State has regular discussions with each of the Chiefs of Staff on a range of issues.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

African Union (Peacekeeping Forces)

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will  (a) make representations and  (b) provide assistance to the African Union (AU) to ensure that per diem payments similar to those paid to United Nations Peacekeeping forces are made to countries supplying AU peacekeeping forces.

Ian McCartney: The African Union provides its peacekeeping forces with a Mission Subsistence Allowance (MSA), similar to the "per diems" paid by the United Nations. These are paid directly to the troops concerned rather than to troop-contributing countries.
	However, the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) has been experiencing financial difficulties for some time which are impacting on its ability to meet some of its running costs, including MSA payments. These are due to a combination of problems with AMIS's financial management which have led to stalled funding from the European Commission, and promises of funds from the Arab League and others that have not yet been honoured. We have regularly called on donors to fulfil their pledges.
	We are also providing AMIS with £13.5 million in direct funding to help it meet its current running costs. This will include payment of salaries and MSA for the AMIS peacekeeping force, as well as measures to ensure the effective financial management of these payments.

Arms Exports

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what post-sale monitoring of UK international defence sales is undertaken by the Government; how many staff are employed in this monitoring; and if she will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: The Government believe strongly that the best approach to ensuring strategic exports are not diverted or misused is case by case assessment, against the Consolidated EU and National Export Licensing Criteria, of any proposed export at the time of application, i.e. before the export goes ahead. If, after careful assessment at the licensing stage, it is assessed there is a risk that the equipment will be diverted from its stated end use, a licence will not be issued.
	The possibility of diversion of exported goods to an undesirable end use is part of the strict risk assessment undertaken by dedicated personnel in four Government Departments (the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Defence and the Department for International Development) involved in the export licensing process at the time of application. This takes into account relevant information the Government may hold, including from those in the Government's overseas posts who monitor local developments closely and note any information that comes to light that equipment supplied by the UK has been used in a manner inconsistent with the consolidated criteria. Should information come to light that goods have been diverted, the Government will take this into consideration when assessing any future applications. The Government may also revoke the relevant licence(s) and ask the authorities in the country concerned to investigate.

Arms Exports

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will list the discussions she has had with her Cabinet colleagues about UK exports of military equipment and parts to  (a) Burma,  (b) China,  (c) North Korea,  (d) Iran,  (e) Russia,  (f) Saudi Arabia and  (g) Zimbabwe; and what concerns were raised about human rights in those countries during each discussion.

Kim Howells: Regular contacts between Cabinet colleagues take place on UK exports of military equipment and parts and will include when necessary discussion of arms sales to destinations which may be a cause for concern, including any concerns on the human rights situations in those countries.
	All export licences are assessed on a case by case basis against the EU and national export Licensing Criteria. This includes in criterion 2 the 'respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the country of final destination'. If an export is considered inconsistent with the criteria, a licence will not be issued. Given the thorough and strict pre-licensing assessments, we are confident that our exports do not have adverse effects on the human rights situations in the countries of final destination.

Bosnia

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether personnel from her Department have  (a) been posted to and  (b) visited Eagle Base in Tuzla, Bosnia since September 2001.

Geoff Hoon: No officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office have been posted to the Eagle Base in Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina since September 2001. The Eagle Base is the main landing strip in Eastern Bosnia and is used by both civilian and military aircraft. In this context, officials and Ministers have used it as a landing point for visits to Eastern Bosnia, including to Srebrenica commemorations and the International Commission on Missing Persons facility based in Tuzla.

Cluster Munitions

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs why no reference to the use of cluster munitions in the Lebanon-Israel conflict was included in her Department's Human Rights Annual Report 2006; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: The 2006 Annual Report on Human Rights covers the period from July 2005 to late August 2006. At the time of writing, many of the details surrounding the Israel-Lebanon conflict were still unclear. A decision was made not to cover the conflict as a whole. However, we were able to insert a section about the UK's efforts to bring about a ceasefire and our plans to help with reconstruction. Additionally, two paragraphs were added to the section on Syria remarking on its unhelpful role in supporting Hezbollah. We had concerns about Israeli actions during the conflict, which we made public at the time. And there is a large section in the human rights report covering our other concerns about Israel. We intend to cover the Israel-Hezbollah conflict in greater detail in our next report.

Cluster Munitions

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment her Department's human rights monitors have made of the use of cluster munitions in the Lebanon-Israel conflict.

Ian McCartney: Cluster munitions are legitimate weapons when used in accordance with international humanitarian law. We have called on Israel to make a public statement about their use of cluster munitions and have discussed the issue with the Government of Israel, the Government of Lebanon and human rights organisations.

Departmental Energy Use

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what percentage of electricity used by her Department in the last period for which figures are available was generated  (a) from renewable resources and  (b) through on-site micro-generation facilities.

Geoff Hoon: Since the financial year 2002-03, 100 per cent. of the electricity used in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO) Main Building is from renewable sources. In financial year 2005-06, this amounted to 38.97 per cent. of the FCO's total UK electricity consumption. At present we do not generate electricity on-site from micro-generation, though we are a significant user of the Whitehall District Heating System. We do not hold data on the percentage of electricity generated from renewable energy resources and on-site micro-generation facilities for our overseas estate.

Human Trafficking

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment her Department has made of the level of human trafficking from sub-Saharan Africa; and what her policy is on facilitating the reduction thereof.

Ian McCartney: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) monitors global levels of human trafficking to the UK. We assess that trafficking victims, predominantly women, come from a range of African countries, although it is difficult to give any firm figures on the numbers involved, given the clandestine nature of trafficking.
	The FCO's policy for reducing the scale of trafficking to the UK focuses on preventative work in source and transit countries. This includes awareness-raising among potential victims and the authorities in these countries; providing training and capacity building support for law enforcement agencies; and providing advice on effective legislation to prosecute trafficking gang members.

Human Trafficking

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations her Department has made to the Sudanese Government over human trafficking of female detainees.

Ian McCartney: We are not aware of any cases of human trafficking in Sudan. However, we take the issue of human trafficking very seriously and would raise any cases of which we became aware with the Government of Sudan.

Human Trafficking

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what projects her Department is funding to combat human trafficking.

Ian McCartney: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is currently funding the following anti-human trafficking projects:
	Albania: a non-governmental organisation (NGO) managed campaign to raise awareness among potential victims of the dangers of human trafficking;
	Russia: a project to promote NGO and police co-operation to tackle human trafficking; and
	Latvia: an NGO-managed anti-trafficking awareness raising project.
	The total value of the projects in the financial year 2006-07 is £403,000.
	In the last financial year the FCO also funded a programme in Lithuania which provided re-integration assistance and social support for trafficking victims returning from enforced prostitution in the UK. The FCO also contributed to the Association of Chief Police Officers' "Operation Pentameter" through the production of multi-lingual awareness-raising material that was used in several east European source and transit countries.

Libya

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  if she will make a statement on  (a) bilateral relations with Libya and  (b) relations between Libya and the EU;
	(2)  if she will make a statement on the progress of the Euro-Mediterranean partnership to establish a bilateral agreement with Libya.

Kim Howells: Bilateral relations between the UK and Libya continue to strengthen. We are engaging with Libya across a broad range of areas, including health, education and training, migration, trade and investment, and counter-terrorism. High-level UK/Libya contact continues. Following a visit to Libya by the then Home Secretary, my right hon. Friend the Member for Norwich, South (Mr. Clarke), in February, I visited Libya from 25 to 27 June and met the Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and Ministers for Justice, Employment, and European Affairs. My noble Friend Lord Kinnock visited Tripoli on 18 to 20 September and opened a new British Council centre.
	The UK wants to see relations between the EU and Libya develop. One process through which this could happen is the Euro-Mediterranean (Euro-Med) partnership, in which Libya has observer status. If Libya decided that it wanted to join as a full member, negotiations on a bilateral association agreement would follow. Libya's membership of the Euro-Med partnership would be dependent on Libya accepting the Barcelona acquis.
	There are ongoing technical contacts between the EU and Libya. The further development of EU-Libya relations would be encouraged by resolution of the case of the Bulgarian and Palestinian medical workers imprisoned in Libya. General Affairs and External Relations Council Conclusions of 2004 expressed grave concern over the plight of the medics and insisted that Libya resolves remaining EU concerns, notably the medics' case.

Lord's Resistance Army

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's policy is on the International Criminal Court warrants served on the leaders of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA); and whether she supports UN-sponsored meetings with LRA leaders.

Ian McCartney: The UK is a strong supporter of the International Criminal Court (ICC). We believe it is imperative to tackle impunity to deter others taking up arms and terrorising civilians. The ICC warrants themselves are a matter of international justice on which the ICC leads.
	The UK strongly encourages the Government of Uganda and the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) to continue their current efforts to reach a sustainable peace agreement which provides both peace and justice to the people of northern Uganda. A solution needs to be found which is compatible with the wishes and needs of the local communities and the Rome Statute of the ICC.
	The Rome Statute offers no bar to judicial and mediation processes running on parallel tracks. The recent visit by Jan Egeland, UN Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs, to meet LRA commanders provided a welcome opportunity to call on the LRA to fully commit themselves, to the peace process and release all those they have abducted. Thus far they are not fully committed and have released no abductees.

Maldives

Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the progress towards a new constitution for the Maldives; and what steps the UK Government are taking to encourage the Government of the Maldives to expedite completion of the constitution with a view to holding free and fair elections.

Ian McCartney: Following President Gayoom's speech in June 2004 outlining his aspirations for democratic reform, the Special Majlis (Constitutional Assembly) was established. Political parties were legalised for the first time in June 2005. We understand there are now at least three registered political parties. In March this year President Gayoom launched the Roadmap for the Agenda Reform. However, the process of bringing modern democracy to the Maldives has been lethargic and subject to setbacks. After two years, the Special Majlis has made little progress on a new constitution.
	This summer in talks between the Maldivian Government and the Maldivian Democratic Party, which were hosted by the British high commissioner to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, there were encouraging signs of progress. In September, the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, my hon. Friend the Member for Pontypridd (Dr. Howells), made a statement calling on the Maldivian Government and all political parties to work constructively both together and with the people of the Maldives to step up the pace of the democratic reforms. It is disappointing that the main stakeholders now seem to be drawing back from the progress they had made together. We continue to underline directly to stakeholders the need for open discussions among all political parties on the implementation of the democratisation process and on the promotion of democracy in the Maldives. We welcome and support the efforts of the EU, and other individual partners within it, in doing the same.

Maldives

Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make representations to the Maldives Government requesting reasonable behaviour by their police force against peaceful protesters.

Ian McCartney: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not made representations to the Maldivian Government on this issue. The British high commissioner to Sri Lanka and the Maldives has in recent weeks been active in making direct representations to Maldivian political leaders on all sides. He has urged them to act with restraint and not to take any steps that might inhibit the promotion of democracy in the Maldives. He has underlined the need to resume discussions on implementing democratic reforms.

Middle East

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the prospects for maintenance of the UN-led ceasefire in Southern Lebanon after the recent conflict between Israel and Lebanon.

Kim Howells: The cessation of hostilities has continued to hold and Israeli troops have completed their withdrawal from Lebanon, except for the divided town of Ghajar. Ten thousand Lebanese armed forces are now deployed in the south for the first time in many years and there is effective co-ordination between them, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and the Israel Defence Force. On the ground there are currently 8,000 soldiers deployed in UNIFIL. There has been good progress too on reconstruction and recovery work, in which the UK has played a significant part.

Montenegro

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make a statement on bilateral relations with Montenegro.

Geoff Hoon: On 17 November the Foreign and Commonwealth Office announced that Mr. John Dyson MVO would become the resident ambassador to Montenegro, replacing Mr. David Gowan CMG, who has been non-resident ambassador to Montenegro since its independence in June 2006. One of Ambassador Dyson's first tasks will be to upgrade the British Office in Podgorica to an embassy. He will also continue to reiterate the UK's support for Montenegro's aspirations to join the EU and NATO. Montenegro has announced its intention to open an embassy in London as soon as is practicable. I visited Podgorica on 8 November and met the Prime Minister, President and Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Niger

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports she has received on the expulsion of Chadian people from Niger; and if she will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: On 20 October 2006, the Government of Niger began their planned expulsion of 3,300 Mahamids from the Diffa region across the border into Chad. However, following a meeting of the Council of Ministers in Niamey on 27 October 2006, the expulsions were suspended. Our High Commission in Accra will continue to monitor the situation and encourage EU partners—represented in Niamey—to make representations to the Government of Niger to respect the human rights of the Mahamids.

Non-proliferation Treaty

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans she has for the implementation of Article 6 of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: The UK is committed to the full implementation of all articles in the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. The UK has a good record in fulfilling its disarmament obligations under Article VI and is widely recognised as the most forward-leaning nuclear-weapons state in this regard. We will continue to press for multilateral negotiations towards mutual, balanced and reliable reductions in nuclear weapons.

Pakistan

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with the Pakistani Foreign Minister on the non-proliferation treaty.

Kim Howells: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and I have had no recent discussions with the Pakistani Foreign Minister on the non-proliferation treaty. However, the UK and Pakistan do hold regular discussions on the treaty through the UK-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue; the second round of talks was held in London on 31 October this year. During the talks, the two sides discussed non-proliferation issues.

Romania/Bulgaria (Labour Market Access)

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of recent reports that the Europe Minister told Bulgarian observers in the European Parliament on 15th November that UK restrictions on labour market access for Romanians and Bulgarians might be ended after one year.

Geoff Hoon: In discussions with Bulgarian (and Romanian) observers at the European Parliament, I made reference to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary on 24 October 2006,  Official Report, columns 82-84WS, which announced transitional arrangements on labour market access in the UK for Romanian and Bulgarian workers. The Home Secretary said that the new arrangements will be reviewed within 12 months and the Government's proposed new Migration Advisory Committee will assist in this process taking account of the needs of our labour market, the impact of the A8 accession and the positions adopted by other EU countries.

Russia

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with the Russian Government on the killing of journalists.

Geoff Hoon: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not had discussions on the killing of journalists with the Russian Government. EU leaders discussed their concerns about the murder of Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya with President Putin at the informal heads of EU states meeting in Lahti, on 20 October. Officials raised our concerns about the killing of Anna Politkovskaya with the chair of the Civil Society Institutions and Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, on 18 October. Anna Politkovskaya's murder and wider freedom of expression concerns were discussed with the Russian authorities at the EU-Russia human rights consultations held in Brussels on 8 November 2006.
	My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary condemned the murder of Anna Politkovskaya at the launch of the 2006 Annual Report on Human Rights on 12 October. I issued a statement of condemnation about her murder on 9 October, expressing sympathy to her friends and family and calling for the Russian authorities to bring her killers to justice. The full text of the statement is available on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) website at
	http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1007029391629&a=KArticle&aid=1159197496301%20&year-2006&month-2006-10-01&date-2006-10-09.
	We regularly discuss the progress of democratic reforms and human rights in Russia with the Russian authorities, including freedom of the media. The 2006 Annual Report on Human Rights sets out some of our major concerns about human rights, democracy and rule of law in Russia. It details a number of occasions when FCO Ministers have raised these issues with the Russian Government over the last 12 months. The report is available on the FCO website at
	http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1007029391629&a=KArticle&aid=1159199142618%20&year=2006&month=2006-10-01&date=2006-10-12.

Russia

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the killing of journalists in Russia has been raised at the Council of Europe.

Geoff Hoon: The Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers discussed the death of Anna Politkovskaya on 25 October 2006. Media freedom, including journalists' safety, is a recurrent issue considered by the Council. It is an important element in delivering the Council of Europe's aim of defending human rights, parliamentary democracy and the rule of law.

Russia/Georgia

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans she has to discuss Russo-Georgian relations with her Russian counterpart.

Geoff Hoon: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has no immediate plans to hold discussions with her Russian counterpart, but I will be discussing my recent visit to the South Caucasus region, including Georgia, with the Russian Ambassador at the end of this month.
	We maintain regular dialogue with the Russian and Georgian authorities at all levels in which we express our hope that they will take early action to reduce tensions and that Russia will lift its economic measures against Georgia.

Sudan

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the prospects for progress on the recently signed peace deal for the East of Sudan; and if she will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: We welcome the conclusion of the Peace Agreement on eastern Sudan between the Government of Sudan and the Eastern Front in Asmara on 14 October. We hope that the agreement will form the basis for lasting peace and security in eastern Sudan. The agreement is the first step towards reconstruction and development in the region, and includes pledges of approximately US$600 million for this end. We call on the parties to continue to work together to ensure that the agreement is fully implemented.

Sudan

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what visa arrangements have been granted by the UK to Salah Ghosh, head of the Sudanese National Intelligence Service, over the last 12 months; and on what dates he has been admitted to the UK.

Ian McCartney: Over the past 12 months General Salah Abdallah (also known as Al Ghosh), Head of Sudanese Intelligence/Security Service, has been granted two single entry visas to the UK. He travelled to the UK in March and August 2006.
	On both occasions General Salah came to the UK for urgent medical treatment. While he was here he discussed Darfur with UK officials. He is an influential member of the Sudanese Government and it therefore makes sense to raise matters of concern with him. At present he is not subject to any UN or EU sanctions or travel restrictions.

Trident

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make it her policy to offer not to replace the Trident nuclear weapons system in return for the Government of  (a) North Korea and  (b) Iran discontinuing their nuclear weapons programmes; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: Iran and North Korea signed up to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) as non-nuclear weapon states. Development of nuclear weapons programmes would be in direct contravention of their legal obligations under the NPT not to acquire or seek to acquire nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices. We continue to call on them to respect these obligations and abandon their weapons programmes. In contrast, the UK is recognised under the NPT as a nuclear weapon state. Ministers are considering the issues involved in the question of whether or not to replace the Trident system but final decisions have yet to be taken.

Uzbekistan

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs why EU sanctions against Uzbekistan were omitted from the list of sanctions regimes in the written ministerial statement of 6 November 2006,  Official Report, columns 27-8WS, on sanctions regimes.

Ian McCartney: We regret that Uzbekistan was inadvertently omitted from the written ministerial statement issued by my hon. Friend the Minister for the Middle East on 6 November 2006,  Official Report, columns 27-28WS. At the time the statement was submitted the EU's sanctions against Uzbekistan were under review. Subsequently, the EU agreed to extend the arms embargo for a further 12 months and the visa ban for a further six months, and to review these measures in three months' time. A revised written ministerial statement reflecting UK implementation of the Uzbekistan sanctions was issued on 8 November 2006,  Official Report, column 43WS.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Ministerial Travel

Tim Loughton: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the cost was of his recent visit to Malaysia; what the name was of each official who accompanied him; and in what category of travel class he and his delegation travelled.

John Prescott: Details of the cost of overseas travel undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more is published annually. Information for 2005-06 was published on Monday 24 July 2006. Copies of the lists are available in the Library for the reference of Members. Information for 2006-07 will be published as soon as it is ready after the end of the financial year.
	All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in the "Ministerial Code" and "Travel by Ministers", copies of which are available in the Library for the reference of Members. All official travel is undertaken in accordance with the requirements of the "Civil Service Management Code", a copy of which is also available in the Library for the reference of Members. It is not Government practice to name individual civil servants.

Ministerial Travel

Bob Russell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the occasions since he has held his present office when he has used  (a) rail services,  (b) the London Underground,  (c) tram or light railway services and  (d) buses in connection with his ministerial duties.

John Prescott: I frequently travel by public transport when undertaking my ministerial duties. All travel is undertaken in accordance with the guidance in the "Ministerial Code" and "Travel by Ministers".

NORTHERN IRELAND

Academically Gifted Children

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the Government's policy is on meeting the educational needs of the most academically gifted children in Northern Ireland.

Maria Eagle: All schools seek to meet the needs of all their pupils, including challenging and stretching the most able, and may obtain assistance from statutory/voluntary organisations that offer specific support for talented and gifted children.
	The extended schools programme provides an opportunity to further enhance provision for pupils.

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many  (a) interim and  (b) full antisocial behaviour orders have been obtained by agencies in Northern Ireland in each district council area since inception.

David Hanson: The relevant authorities have notified the Northern Ireland Office of 29 antisocial behaviour orders being granted in Northern Ireland.
	
		
			  Number of orders 
			  Area  Interim  Full 
			 Ards Borough Council 1 — 
			 Ballymena Borough Council 2 7 
			 Belfast City Council 3 1 
			 Coleraine Borough Council 2 — 
			 Craigavon Borough Council — 1 
			 Derry City Council 2 — 
			 Dungannon District Council — 1 
			 Larne District Council — 3 
			 Magherafelt District Council — 1 
			 Newry and Mourne City Council — 1 
			 Newtownabbey Borough Council 1 1 
			 North Down Borough Council — 2

Bain Report

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects  (a) to receive and  (b) to publish the Bain Report into the schools estate in Northern Ireland.

Maria Eagle: Professor Bain and his colleagues in the review team are currently working on their report on the Strategic Review of Education in Northern Ireland. I expect to receive the report in December and for it to be published shortly afterwards.

Draft Planning Policy Statement 5

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland why a strategy and development plan for Newry City has not been included in the draft planning policy statement 5 on retaining town centres and commercial leisure developments.

David Cairns: Draft PPS 5 has been the subject of public consultation, the results of which are being analysed. While it is not the purpose of draft PPS 5 to set out a strategy or development plan for any settlement, the position of Newry has been raised in the consultation and will be considered.

Education and Skills Authority

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the expenditure of the Education and Skills Authority in its first 12 months of operation; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: The Education and Skills Authority is planned to come into operation from 1 April 2008. Work is continuing on the development of the roles, responsibilities and functions of the ESA and the budget will be determined, in due course, in the light of decisions on these matters and of the outcome of the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review.

Further Education

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what funds were allocated to each of the higher and further education colleges in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: The information requested is as follows
	
		
			  DEL grants and education contracts per audited accounts 
			  £000 
			   Year ended 31 July: 
			  College  2001  2002  2003  2004 ( 1) 2005 
			 Armagh 4,457 4,619 5,787 6,472 6,988 
			 BIFHE 29,991 30,057 36,805 36,328 39,588 
			 Castlereagh 5,243 5,098 7,043 7,202 6,891 
			 Causeway 5,489 5,923 5,838 7,057 7,290 
			 East Antrim 8,076 8,604 9,264 9,513 9,353 
			 East Down 6,261 6,582 7,217 7,020 8,076 
			 East Tyrone 5,143 5,255 5,444 5,997 7,320 
			 Fermanagh 6,061 6,285 7,541 8,423 0 
			 Limavady 4,791 4,940 5,267 6,458 6,639 
			 Lisburn 5,735 7,007 7,763 7,352 7,396 
			 Newry and Kilkeel 9,401 10,326 12,048 12,909 13,833 
			 NI Hotel and Catering College 1,824 1,975 (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 North Down 10,077 11,359 12,868 13,854 14,321 
			 North East 12,074 12,550 12,930 13,641 14,166 
			 North West 18,888 21,735 23,622 23,995 24,051 
			 Omagh 5,204 5,509 5,988 6,129 6,219 
			 Upper Bann 8,589 8,724 9,351 10,701 10,421 
			 Total 147,304 156,548 174,776 183,051 182,552 
			 (1) The analysis for the year ended 31 July 2005 represents 15 colleges only, as the accounts for Fermanagh College are not yet finalised. (1) The Hotel and Catering College was amalgamated with the University of Ulster in 2002 and therefore not included in the overall FE funding totals from 2002-03 onwards. 
		
	
	The academic year for Further Education colleges in Northern Ireland runs from 1 August to 31 July and the last full academic year for which audited accounts are available is the year ended 31 July 2005. Detailed in the table is the further education DEL grant and education contracts for each of the colleges over the last five years. It includes statutory and non-statutory provision.

Further Education

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many higher education places have been allocated to  (a) East Down Institute of Further and Higher Education,  (b) North Down and Ards Institute of Further and Higher Education and  (c) Lisburn College.

Maria Eagle: The full-time higher education places allocated to the three colleges are as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 East Down Institute of Further and Higher Education 110 
			 North Down and Ards Institute of Further and Higher Education 479 
			 Lisburn Institute 78 
		
	
	It should be noted that further education colleges are free to create as many part-time higher education places as they choose.

Head Teachers

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many  (a) primary and  (b) post-primary schools in Northern Ireland are without a permanent head teacher; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: The table provides information on current principal vacancies provided by the five education and library boards and the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools. They have also advised that if there is a delay in a principal taking up duty, the vice-principal is required to undertake the role of acting principal in accordance with the terms of employment of the vice-principal.
	
		
			   Nursery  Primary  Post Primary 
			 Council for Catholic Maintained Schools — 8 5 
			 North Eastern Education and Library Board — 7 1 
			 South Eastern Education and Library Board — 5 2 
			 Southern Education and Library Board 1 3 2 
			 Belfast Education and Library Board — 3 1 
			 Western Education and Library Board — 0 0 
			 Total 1 26 11

Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service

Jeffrey M Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to approve the award of a special medal to the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service to recognise its contribution to protecting the public during the troubles.

Peter Hain: Her Majesty the Queen is advised by the Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals on all matters to do with honours and medals. My Department has no plans to recommend the introduction of such a medal to the Committee.

Republic of Ireland (Tax Rates)

David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the effect on the Northern Irish economy of tax rates in the Republic of Ireland.

David Hanson: Northern Ireland has tax parity with the rest of the UK and tax is a reserved matter for the Chancellor to determine. No specific Government study has been undertaken of the impact on the Northern Irish economy of tax rates in the Republic of Ireland.

School Pupils

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the Government's policy is on helping schools in Northern Ireland cope with the growth in the number of pupils whose first language is not English.

Maria Eagle: The Department of Education's policy for children whose first language is not English or who have significant difficulty with English will be completed and issued for full consultation in December 2006.
	The total allocation, for English as an additional language provision in 2006-07, is £3.4 million for some 2,700 children identified as having significant difficulty with English as an additional language. DE has given the five Education and Library Boards earmarked funding of £834,000 for 2006-07 and schools just over £2.5 million through the Common Funding Formula. In addition, £100,000 has been allocated for interpreting and translation services through the Children and Young People's Funding Package to commence establishing access to interpreting services and provide key documents in various languages for teachers, EAL pupils and their parents.

Suspended Sentences

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many and what percentage of convicted criminals given custodial sentences in  (a) magistrates and  (b) Crown courts in Northern Ireland have had their sentences suspended in each of the last 12 months.

David Hanson: Custodial and suspended sentences are separate and mutually exclusive disposal categories. Table 1 provides the total number of convicted criminals, the number and percentage of those convicted who were given a custodial sentence and the number and percentage given a suspended sentence at the Crown court for each calendar month. Table 2 provides data corresponding to magistrates courts.
	Figures are provided for 2004, the most up-to-date available at present.
	It should be noted that data are collated on the principal offence rule: thus only the most serious offence with which an offender is charged is included.
	
		
			  Table 1: Total number of convictions, number and percentage given a custodial sentence and number and percentage given a suspended sentence at the Crown court by month—2004 
			   Crown court 
			   Total number convicted  Number given custodial sentence  Percentage of total number convicted given custodial sentence  Number given suspended sentence  Percentage of total number convicted given suspended sentence 
			 January 222 88 40 26 12 
			 February 119 57 48 37 31 
			 March 128 62 48 39 30 
			 April 86 39 45 31 36 
			 May 96 47 49 28 29 
			 June 163 96 59 40 25 
			 July 55 32 58 12 22 
			 August 27 14 52 7 26 
			 September 129 77 60 31 24 
			 October 136 69 51 45 33 
			 November 107 44 41 31 29 
			 December 26 13 50 7 27 
			 Total 1,294 638 49 334 26 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Total number of convictions, number and percentage given a custodial sentence and number and percentage given a suspended sentence at the magistrates court by month—2004 
			   Magistrates court 
			   Total number convicted  Number given custodial sentence  Percentage of total number convicted given custodial sentence  Number given suspended sentence  Percentage of total number convicted given suspended sentence 
			 January 2,228 125 6 143 6 
			 February 2,176 146 7 149 7 
			 March 2,427 199 8 163 7 
			 April 2,280 110 5 167 7 
			 May 2,222 142 6 165 7 
			 June 2,507 162 6 171 7 
			 July 2,083 114 5 103 5 
			 August 2,250 89 4 127 6 
			 September 2,376 144 6 162 7 
			 October 2,218 152 7 172 8 
			 November 2,214 150 7 183 8 
			 December 1,650 81 5 136 8 
			 Total 26,631 1,614 6 1,841 7

Teacher Training

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many students were enrolled on teacher-training courses in Northern Ireland in  (a) 2003-04,  (b) 2004-05 and  (c) 2005-06; how many students withdrew from such courses (i) temporarily and (ii) permanently in each year, broken down by age; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: In 2003-04, 2,015 students were enrolled on initial teacher training courses at Northern Ireland higher education institutions. The equivalent figure for 2004-05 was 2,034. Data for the 2005-06 academic year are not available.
	The table gives details of the number of students who withdrew from these courses, broken down by age. It is not possible to determine from the data collected whether students who withdraw do so on a temporary or permanent basis.
	
		
			  Age  2003-04  2004-05 
			 20 years and under 20 16 
			 21 to 24 years inclusive 8 12 
			 25 years and over 11 5 
			 Total 39 33 
			  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency

Waste Management

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much funding will be allocated for waste management infrastructure and waste management initiatives in addition to the waste management grant paid to local councils for 2007-08.

David Cairns: In addition to the waste management grant allocations for 2007-08, the Department of Environment is setting up a programme delivery support unit to advise the councils' waste management groups on their major infrastructure procurement projects.
	The Department is also preparing a strategic business case to establish the options for central Government funding to local government for waste management as part of the CSR 2007 process.

Waste Management

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much funding was earmarked in the Central Spending Review for  (a) waste management infrastructure and  (b) waste management initiatives from 2008 onwards.

David Cairns: The Department of Environment is currently preparing a Strategic Business Case to establish the options for central Government funding to local government for waste management as part of the CSR 2007 process.
	Decisions on allocations for 2008-09 and beyond will be taken as part of next year's Budget and Priorities process and published in the draft Budget in the autumn of 2007.

HEALTH

Air Ambulances

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if her Department will review funding provision for air ambulances.

Rosie Winterton: Since 1 April 2002, the cost of clinical staff on air ambulances should be met by the national health service. It is for NHS trusts to decide whether they give any additional funding to charities who provide air ambulances.

Audiology Services

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many patients in Tendring were treated by an audiologist in each of the last six years;
	(2)  how much is estimated to be spent on audiology services in Tendring in 2006-07; and how much was spent in each of the last five years.

Ivan Lewis: The information requested is not held centrally.
	From 2000 to 2005, funding of £125 million for the provision of digital hearing aids was ring-fenced through the modernising hearing aid services programme.
	In 2006-07, the Department allocated national health service central revenue budgets on 25 July 2006. This amounted to a total allocation of £5.5 billion across all the strategic health authorities (SHAs) and is the aggregate value of all the individual allocations from many different budgets, including audiology. It is the responsibility of SHAs to reach agreement with their local NHS trusts and primary care trusts over the allocation of these resources to best meet local need. In addition capital allocations for audiology services in 2006-07 amounted to £26 million.

Care Home Policy Guidelines

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps her Department is taking to ensure consistency of interpretation of care home policy guidelines by local authorities; and if she will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: It is for the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI), as the Regulator, to inspect all care homes in England, whether in the private, voluntary or local authority sectors, to ensure they are compliant with the Care Homes Regulations 2001. In doing so, CSCI will have regard to national minimum standards, which apply across the country and which are intended to ensure consistency in the quality of services.
	CSCI also inspects local authority social services departments to judge how well they are running and commissioning social care services for adults and children. This and other information forms part of the overall star rating judgment on councils that CSCI publishes once each year. Ratings can be viewed on the CSCI website at
	www.csci.org.uk/care_professionals/councils/star_ratings.aspx.

Delayed Discharges

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many delayed discharges there were of people aged 75 years and over in each  (a) NHS region and  (b) health authority in each quarter from Q1 2005-06 to Q1 2006-07.

Ivan Lewis: Information on delayed discharges is collected by strategic health authority. The information is in the table.
	
		
			  Number of patients over 75-years-old occupying an acute hospital bed with delayed discharge 
			   Q1  Q2  Q3  Q4  Q1 
			  Strategic health authority  2005-06  2005-06  2005-06  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire 95 90 88 99 96 
			 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire 53 45 66 65 74 
			 Essex 46 73 60 41 49 
			 North West London 49 45 35 31 29 
			 North Central London 30 28 20 38 34 
			 North East London 43 45 46 42 36 
			 South East London 29 24 23 28 29 
			 South West London 54 74 45 49 46 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear 25 11 11 19 18 
			 County Durham and Tees Valley 11 7 3 6 18 
			 North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire 44 37 47 41 39 
			 West Yorkshire 52 43 46 34 54 
			 Cumbria and Lancashire 29 52 49 55 68 
			 Greater Manchester 56 59 47 55 47 
			 Cheshire and Merseyside 88 77 64 64 82 
			 Thames Valley 63 76 74 70 78 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight 89 75 83 58 91 
			 Kent and Medway 62 58 57 75 100 
			 Surrey and Sussex 204 168 137 120 202 
			 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire 81 84 97 121 95 
			 South West Peninsula 66 30 57 51 68 
			 Dorset and Somerset 88 76 94 70 76 
			 South Yorkshire 58 39 32 45 46 
			 Trent 67 66 51 68 60 
			 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland 86 60 66 59 51 
			 Shropshire and Staffordshire 34 54 66 70 68 
			 Birmingham and the Black Country 150 174 125 98 96 
			 West Midlands South 39 29 31 32 43

Healthy Living Social Marketing Strategy

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what account was taken of sporting activity in developing the Healthy Living Social Marketing Strategy.

Caroline Flint: An extensive stakeholder engagement programme has informed the development of the draft healthy living social marketing strategy to tackle obesity in children under 11 years, including contributions and an ongoing dialogue with sports-related agencies and sports governing bodies.
	The Department has also worked in partnership with sports clubs and sports governing bodies to increase physical activity and disseminate health messages to children, young people and adults, for example through business in the community's Clubs that Count scheme and the teenage health demonstration sites programme.

Hospital Accounts

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she has taken to ensure that NHS financial turn-around teams have no conflict of interest with accountancy companies auditing NHS hospital annual accounts.

Andy Burnham: Financial turnaround teams are appointed locally and both the national health service and advisory firms assess the scope of work and potential conflicts in interest. There is a shared responsibility to avoid conflicts in interest between advisory firms and clients, who have robust processes to assess any risk in this regard.

Infant Formula Milk

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health why goat milk proteins may not be used in infant formula milk; and what assessment she has made of the effects of goat milk proteins on the health of young babies.

Caroline Flint: The sources of protein permitted for use in the manufacture of infant formula and follow-on formula are restricted to cows' milk or soya protein by European Union wide legislation.
	It is for the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to assess the safety and efficacy of sources of protein for use in infant formula. In early 2006, EFSA concluded that there are insufficient data to establish the suitability of goats' milk protein as a protein source in infant formula. As a result, the Department does not recommend the use of goats' milk protein in foods used for infant nutrition purposes.

Minor Injuries Facilities

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussion her Department has had with local health NHS trusts on minor injuries facilities in Northamptonshire over the last month.

Andy Burnham: It is for primary care trusts (PCTs) to commission services for their local populations and to work with the local health community and other stakeholders to plan, develop and improve health services to meet the needs of the community.
	NHS East Midlands reports that Northamptonshire PCT and Kettering General Hospital National Health Service Trust have agreed to keep the Corby minor injuries unit open.

Neurology/Epilepsy

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  whether the 100 MRI scanners and 200 CT scanners identified as necessary in the Department of Health's Government action plan on epilepsy services (2003) have been procured;
	(2)  what estimate she has made of the proportion of people being treated for epilepsy who are not being treated by a specialist;
	(3)  what the misdiagnosis rate is for epilepsy;
	(4)  what targets her Department has set relating to  (a) long-term monitoring,  (b) reduction of mortality,  (c) severe morbidity and  (d) diagnostic accuracy for epilepsy.

Ivan Lewis: The Department has not set targets for long-term monitoring, reduction in mortality, severe morbidity or diagnostic accuracy for epilepsy. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence published, in October 2004, a clinical guideline for the diagnosis and management of epilepsies in adults and children in primary and secondary care. This guideline makes recommendations for treatment and care provided by general practitioners and by specialists. Local health bodies should review their existing practice for epilepsy to implement these recommendations.
	Information on the proportion of those being treated for epilepsy who are not being treated by a specialist is not collected.
	Information on the misdiagnosis rate for epilepsy is not collected.
	Since the start of 2003 the national health service has purchased 157 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners and 131 computerised axial tomography (CAT) scanners.

Neurology/Epilepsy

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many  (a) specialist epileptic care nurses and  (b) agency staff who deal with epilepsy are employed in (i) Greater London, broken down by London borough, and (ii) England;
	(2)  which primary care trusts  (a) have and  (b) do not have equipment that can accurately assess different types of epilepsy in (i) Greater London, broken down by London borough, and (ii) England.

Ivan Lewis: Information is not collected centrally on the number of specialist epilepsy care nurses, or agency staff, employed in the national health service.
	Nurse specialist roles have been developed to address the unmet care needs for people with a variety of neurological conditions, including epilepsy. Specialist epilepsy nurses provide an additional clinical resource and have spearheaded the development of nurse-led and fast access clinics, monitoring treatment regimes and seizure control, support and information on aspects of medication and side effects and lifestyle precautions.
	Specialist epilepsy nurse posts were developed through the British Epilepsy Association, now Epilepsy Action, in association with the Wellcome Foundation. There are a number of funding mechanisms supporting their development including the voluntary sector, pharmaceutical industry and the NHS.
	Information on the type of equipment used for the diagnosis of epilepsy owned by each trust is not collected centrally.

Neurology/Epilepsy

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children with epilepsy are being educated in mainstream  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools.

Ivan Lewis: Information on the number of children with epilepsy attending mainstream schools is not collected.

Neurology/Epilepsy

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many  (a) adults and  (b) children suffer from (i) all forms and (ii) severe forms of epilepsy in (A) Greater London, broken down by London borough, and (B) England;
	(2)  how many  (a) adults and  (b) children suffering from epilepsy require full-time specialist care in (i) Greater London, broken down by London borough, and (ii) England.

Ivan Lewis: Information on the number of adults and children living with, and requiring full-time specialist care for, epilepsy is not collected.

NICE

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to complete its consideration of continuous positive airway pressure for people with sleep apnoea.

Ivan Lewis: We understand that the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) expects to publish its technology appraisal guidance on sleep apnoea—continuous positive airways pressure (CPAP) in January 2008. Further information is available on NICE's website at: www.nice.org.uk/page.aspx?o=350198.

Prescription Charges

Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will introduce free NHS prescriptions for higher education students.

Andy Burnham: The Government announced a review of prescription charges on 17 October 2006 in response to the Health Select Committee's report on national health service charges. The review will consider changes to prescription charge exemptions on the basis that these are cost-neutral for the NHS.

Rheumatology Services

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which primary care trusts do not have a rheumatology multi-disciplinary team for assessing patients.

Ivan Lewis: This information is not available centrally.
	The musculoskeletal services framework is supporting improvements in the care offered to people with musculoskeletal disorders. The development of multidisciplinary clinical assessment and treatment services are central to the framework's delivery, identifying those who can benefit from rapid help locally and those who will need hospital referral.

Talking Books

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding she makes available for the provision of talking books for blind and partially sighted people in hospital.

Ivan Lewis: We recognise that schemes like talking books are important in meeting the needs of some disabled people because they provide accessible materials and thereby extend the range of leisure and learning opportunities available to them. This contributes to improving their quality of life.
	The Department itself provides no direct help but it is up to individual hospitals to provide services that best meet the needs of their patients.

Waiting Times

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the waiting time is for patients for dynamic psychotherapy in the Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust.

Rosie Winterton: This information is not held centrally.
	The Government are committed to improving mental health services and this is why we support increasing the availability of evidence-based psychological therapies through our programme Increasing Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT), which began in May 2006. We made improving the availability of psychological therapies a manifesto commitment in 2005, and it was a commitment we also made in the "Our health, our care, our say" White Paper. The need to increase access to psychological therapies was also highlighted by Professor Louis Appleby, the national director for mental health, in his 2004 report on the progress made in implementing the national service framework for mental health.
	IAPT will provide a more effective and timely access to psychological therapies for people with mild to moderate mental health problems such as anxiety and depression, and will increase the choice of treatments available to mental health service users.

Waiting Times

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the waiting time is for  (a) all minor surgery and  (b) circumcision at the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust.

Andy Burnham: Waiting times data at procedure level is not available in the format requested. However, waiting times for circumcision at the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust is in the following table.
	
		
			  Count of finished admissions and median time waited for circumcisions at the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, 2004-05 
			   Number/days 
			 Finished admission episodes (number) 320 
			 Median time waited (days) 105 
			  Notes: 1.  Finished admission episodes: A finished admission episode is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Please note that admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year. 2.  Main operation: The main operation is the first recorded operation in the HES data set and is usually the most resource intensive procedure performed during the episode. It is appropriate to use main operation when looking at admission details, e.g. time waited, but the figures for "all operations count of episodes" give a more complete count of episodes with an operation. 3.  Time waited (days): Time waited statistics from Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) are not the same as the published waiting list statistics. HES provides counts and time waited for all patients admitted to hospital within a given period whereas the published waiting list statistics count those waiting for treatment on a specific date and how long they have been on the waiting list. Also, HES calculates the time waited as the difference between the admission and decision to admit dates. Unlike published waiting list statistics, this is not adjusted for self-deferrals or periods of medical/social suspension. 4.  Ungrossed data: Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed). 5.  Data quality: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) are compiled from data sent by over 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) in England. The Health and Social Care Information Centre liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain.  Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The Information Centre for Health and Social Care